Catheter - a thin tube placed
into a body cavity, organ, or vessel to either administer
or drain fluids.
Cecum - a pouch that forms the first
portion of the colon, located below the entrance of the ileum
at the ileocecal valve.
Celiac disease - an inability
to digest and absorb the protein gliadin (a component of gluten,
which is found in wheat, rye and barley); also called celiac
sprue and gluten intolerance.
Cholelithiasis - gallstones.
Cholecystectomy - the surgical
procedure to remove gallstones from the gallbladder.
Cholecystitis - an inflammation
of the gallbladder.
Cholecystokinin - a hormone
secreted by the upper intestine that stimulates contractions
of the gallbladder and increases the secretion of pancreatic
juices.
Cholerrheic diarrhea - diarrhea caused
by the malabsorption of bile acids.
Chronic - a condition that
lasts a long time: months, years or a lifetime.
Chyme - semifluid material
that food is converted into by gastric secretions in the stomach
and that passes from the stomach to the small intestine.
Cirrhosis - a chronic liver disease
that causes scarring and a loss of normal liver function;
symptoms result from a loss of functioning liver cells and
an increased resistance to blood flow through the liver.
Clostridium difficile (C. difficile)
- a bacterium that is recognized as the major cause of colitis
and the diarrhea that may occur after taking antibiotics.
Colectomy - surgery that removes
all or part of the colon.
Colitis - an inflammation of
the colon.
Colon - the large intestine,
which connects the small intestine to the rectum.
Colonoscopy - a diagnostic
test in which a flexible lighted tube is inserted through
the rectum to examine the colon and possibly take biopsies.
Colostomy - the surgical creation
of an opening between the colon and the surface of the skin;
also called a large intestine stoma.
Constipation - reduced or painful
bowel movements.
Continent ileostomy - the surgical
creation of a pouch inside the lower abdomen to collect waste,
which is emptied with a small tube inserted through a nipple
opening in the abdomen.
Contraindication - a circumstance
that makes certain medical or surgical treatments inadvisable.
Corticosteroids - anti-inflammatory
dugs used to treat gastrointestinal disorders; they often
produce significant positive results but can also cause severe
side effects when used for a long period of time.
Crohn's disease - a chronic
inflammatory disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal
tract from the mouth to the anus, but usually affects the
ileum in the small intestine and/or the colon.
Crohn's colitis - Crohn's disease
involving the colon.
Crypt - a depression or tubular gland,
lined with cells involved in secretion, between the villi
in the intestinal mucosa.
This information
is provided as a general educational service
and is not intended to recommend any particular treatment plan
or to replace the advice of physicians. It is important that patients
seek and rely on the advice of a healthcare professional
about their individual medical conditions.
